Thursday, August 31, 2006

Can you stand more photos of West Cape? I haven't emptied my camera since Monday. I have more pictures of rabbits on it and some flowers.......

The last day of August - wow! It was the first day of August just a few days ago it seems. This month seemed to go incredibly fast as did the whole summer. I must say I enjoyed August's weather compared to the hot, hot July we had this year. Hot flashes tend to make one like cooler weather!

Bob Dylan's new album, Modern Times, was released yesterday. First murmurs is that it's great. I have one cut to share. This same cut, Nettie Moore, was featured on quite a few blogs yesterday so it may have beena a promo release or is just being shared blog to blog like I'm doing. My other music selection today is in honour of this very fast summer, particularly the month of August. Funny How Time Slips Away is a cut from an old album (mine is on cassette) called Country Rhythm and Blues. It featured duets between country singers and R & B singers. This song is by Al Green and Lyle Lovett, two fabulous performers, in my opinion.

I have more photos of West Cape. These three are the first views we encountered: the path down, the water where the sky and water looked the same that day and the beach to the right. I want to go back for a whole day and am going to do that on a July Monday next year. Wanna come?

We tied for first on the first round of trivia last night but blew the second round. Another new player and two from our old regular team. We had seven in all and our new serious recruit dropped in for five minutes.

I lose three staff this week on different days who are all going off to school. I'm going to be very tired for the next month and will be awaiting October like a kid waits for Christmas.

Music today: Another Ray LaMontagne, who's folkie style I like very much. I have lots of him, some acoustic and some with a band. This one, Roadhouse Girl, is just Ray and his guitar. A new interesting find this past while is Nil Lara. This cut, Mama's Chant, is full of African - like rhythms. The other cut I have of his I may post my last day of work this term....I Will Be Free.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Our Western adventure today was GREAT! We picked up my painting and had delicious coffee in Indian River and headed straight out to West Cape so we could still catch the low tide. It was glorious. There was light rain near the end of our time there but it nothing to be bothered about. It's such a wonderful beach. I just wish I could get there more often.

Our next stop was the Acadian Museum to see an exhibit of 32 Acadian painter's representation of the Expulsion or Grande D'Arrangement. Some pieces were wonderful and some were not to my taste which is the case in all exhibits, I find.

We took a scenic route home to avoid construction that we encountered on the way. It was a really cool, hilly road which was very beautiful. I don't know if I'd want to travel in it in the winter but it is certainly nice now.

Music for today: Feelin' Good by Nina Simone is one of my all time favorite songs that she does. I may have already downloaded it but if not, here it is. If I have it's back there somewhere. Also, Something Real by Phoebe Snow because we were talking about her today.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

I got to pet him today. Last Sunday I saw people petting him at the fence and thought I'd try today. He came right over when I approached the fence. Cool......for someone kind of afraid of horses. His mother doesn't even seem to notice that he is taking up with strangers.

I took the day off, mostly. I went in and opened up and will go back and close up. Been trying to get in touch with S. to confirm tomorrow's trip "Up West." I'm looking forward to a road trip, I must say. I'll dig out some cassettes (you know my car is old) and get plenty of sleep tonight.

An oldie to celebrate West Cape and the land I've had there since January, '74: This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie and I Love the Life I Live by The Mose Allison Trio. I Love the Life I Live will be song number 200 on the Music Page.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

or Chanterelle season is apon us and S. and I picked some yesterday after I got off work. They will be a yummy addition to tonight's dinner.

For years I had Happy Hour on Friday nights. I haven't been doing them this year. I miss the dancing the most. Well S. came over after mushrooming and we danced the evening away. My legs hurt this morning but last night sure was fun.

My son is home for a bachelor party so he and my daughter and niece were around of a while. Both of my kids have friends getting married over the next two weekends. My daughter is a bridesmaid at her friend's wedding.

Music: My Weakness by Ray LaMontagne and The Weakness in Me by Joan Armatrading. If Joan's song is not at the top of the page, look down the page as I may have uploaded it before

Thursday, August 24, 2006

This as a photo of the painting I'm picking up on Monday. The painter, the wonderfully talented, Greg Garand, from Indian River in the Kensington area, says that the colour may be off in the photo. I don't think it is exactly on my beach at West Cape but about a mile south of it. I love it anyway. I haven't been there for three years but plan to go on Monday if the weather and tides are right. We thought Greg would go with us but has declined.

A member of the public stole an item from my workplace yesterday. It was an item of value that we are selling tickets on. It bothers me beyond belief that someone would do such a thing. The fact that we are struggling to stay in business isn't even the point. I just can't understand stealing something from someone else and probably being very friendly on the way out the door with the item tucked in your purse or pants. Makes me sick!

Music: Missing by Beck, a Bosa Nova sounding little thing that you'd swear Sting was singing and Is It Worth It by a funky Bob Dylan.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

I feel so bad! We tied for first place at trivia but would have won except that I didn't write one of our answers down. I had radio drama - in the space so a quick check didn't show an empty spot. When Steve was reading the answers, he said that no one had got the name of the radio drama. That was our first clue. Worse than that gaff - we lost the tie breaker so placed second for our last night of "Steve Trivia". We felt so bad, in fact, that one of our member's had to drown her sorrows...........

Music for today: Soloman Burke - Cry to Me and Crazy by Gnarles Barkley. Some say that Crazy is the song of the summer.

Monday, August 21, 2006

I'm feeling out of sorts today. On Monday, my only day off, I'm usually as energetic as ever, cleaning, doing laundry, leaving time for something fun, etc. I usually get up at my normal 5:30. Well, last night I woke at 4:00 in night sweats, stayed up for an hour then went back to bed and read for a while near the time when I'm normally getting up. I slept till eight and I've been exhausted since I got up. I'm doing my normal stuff but at half speed. I can't wait for bed tonight and that's just not right on my day off. I certainly work best if I stick to my regular schedule.

It's been raining for two days so S. and I cancelled our trip "Up West" to go to an exhibition of Acadian painters and to pick up my newest Greg Garand painting. I can't wait to see it though; he may e-mail me a photo. We are also going to my beachfront land at West Cape. We thought we were taking Greg with us but he has found the beach now and done the painting so it will be just us. I can't wait. I haven't been there in three years.

Since it is rainy and I am feeling dull, I have photos with lots of colour for today and colorful music too. Actually I've been trying to upload a photo since I started here and can't so maybe there won't be photos but there'll be music. You can count on that! How about The ColorPurple by Quincy Jones and Blue by Joni Mitchell? I guess there will be no photos untill Blogger behaves.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Photos are from a sketching workshop held today. Lots of nice art was made and the people were a happy bunch. That makes a great difference to me. I'm always pleasant and in a good mood so I expect it from others. Ha! It doesn't mean I always get it.

News on Clarke today. Someone is sure they've seen him so I scoured the neighbourhood of the sighting. One person I questioned this morning is positive he saw a cat with a huge tail.....about two weeks ago. I'm going walking in the woods around there tomorrow morning.

Musical interlude for today: I found a new person I really liked this week. The brief write up states that he is from California and that he's been an opening act for a few big names. His name is Ryan Auffenberg and the song I'm uploading today is Under All the Bright Lights. I really liked it and another I downloaded of his.... good vocals and harmonies. Check him out. Another newby for me is Katie Melua. I truly can't remember where or when I found her but I've always loved the song, Blues in the Night. I love her version. So I'm sure I found her through the song. Check her out too. Just press their names for the links. Both websites open with music. Ryan's can be turned off but I didn't go that far into Katie's. I will though. I love new music. I make lots of playlists and always burn one with the month's name. Both of these songs are on August's CD.

Friday, August 18, 2006

I've said before that I am a collector of songs. One that I have many versions of is Leonard Cohen's Halleluja. I'm pretty sure I've never uploaded Jeff Buckley's version. It is many people's absolute favorite. Since Jeff's recording career and life were short we don't have a lot of songs from him. Some believe he was a musical genius.

The only person who died early and truly was a musical genius, in my opinion, is Jimi Hendrix. I've always wondered what musical contributions he would have continued to make since he was such an innovator in his short time in the musical realm. I certainly was a huge fan. I had posters of him in my room, remember distinctly the moment I heard he'd died, had a boyfriend who looked just like him (think that's why I chose him as a boyfriend) and had all of his albums.

So today, though they're unrelated other than that they died too young and at least one, if not both, are musical geniuses are Hallejula by Jeff Buckley and a rare cut from Jimi Hendrix, with a Canadian connection. It is Red House, live from Ottawa. I guess the Hallejula is a Canadian connection too, thanks to Leonard.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

A few photos of our pretty sky at different times of the day are in order. I don't have much else but flowers and cats.

PEI is shutting down already. It's been said that AFTER Old Home Week, we shut down but from my experience running a business out in the country, Old Home Week itself is the turning point not afterward. Funny, because the weather is fantastic.....hot still but not humid like it was in July. I left work for a couple of hours yesterday and could have sent home waitresses every day this week but they need the money so didn't. I'll be in trouble with my board about it but.....

I spent the day outside in various gardens. Should have taken some before and after photos. I had a weird coincidence at work, meeting three relatives of a good friend after her telling me about them on Tuesday. Small little world out there.

Music today: Some more Lila Downs. I never get tired of her. I first heard her during the movie, Frida. I kept leaning over to S. during the movie saying, "There had better be a soundtrack for this movie." There was, thank goodness, and though it took me a while to track it down, I was happy and love it to this day. This song, Paloma Negra, is not from the soundtrack but is reminiscent of it...the moment where she bellows and everyone falls in love with this singer, I'm sure. She sure can bellow when she wants. She is connected with the state of Oaxaca and plays a yearly charity concert there and also plays in Puerto Escondido on occasion. I've never been lucky enough to be at either place at the same time but sure would plan a vacation around it. Pa' Toda El Ano is from her latest album, La Cantina. I put her English and Spanish versions of Cumbia del Mole on the list a while back from this newest album. It is a wholly traditional album with folk music a la Oaxaca. I love everything she does, really.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Another winning night at Trivia yesterday. We came second. Our arch rivals came first with a fabulous 24 out of 25 score. Four more "strangers" joined us last night. This has to be the oddest Trivia Team in history with each week bringing new members. Once all the regular people come back in the fall, we'll have to reorganize and maybe become two teams.

A friend talked me into going to the humane society and checking to see if Clarke had been found and turned in. He was not there and hadn't been there and adopted but there sure were some cute kittens and cats.

The photos today are from two Charlottetown gardens, one private and one in a park. Very pretty!

Music: Bruce Springsteen's, Philadelphia, in honour of the AIDS conference in Toronto and Almendra, a song from Lila Down's album, Trazos but featuring a male vocalist and her wonderful, wonderful band. To hear another great song by this band go way back down the page to Lila's version of Besame Mucho. It's probably my favorite song version on the whole page.

Monday, August 14, 2006

I finally got to see the colt that became famous the moment he was born on PEI about three weeks ago. He is a very rare breed - a Canadian. I know nothing about horses and less about this rare breed but supposedly he is a wonder and hope for this rare breed.

I slept in this morning. An amazing thing to those who know me. I usually get up at 5:30 but woke up and decided to try to get back to sleep, which I did for two more hours. The day will most definately be screwed up because of this but it sure felt good this morning.

On Friday, 11 August, I went through my music page again to assure that the music stays up. I found a few interesting things:

Most songs got an average of 4 more hits since 20 July.

Mana/Zucherro got 22 hits

Gold Digger went up from 86 to 100

I love this: Haircut, by the Waifs went from 24 to 42

La Larona by Chavala Vargas got 30 more hits

Latin selections went up an average of 8 more hits thus I think those who listen like latin. I will put more latin up.

I still don't know who listens to the music because everyone I ask, who reads the blog, does not listen to the music.

So, for today, Eva Ayllon singing, Yo Perdi el Corazon and Ausencia, a nice ballad, sung by Goran Bregovic but written by the famous Cesaria Evora.

Friday, August 11, 2006

I hd a brother who died at age twenty-seven after a bone marrow transplant meant to cure his leukemia. He would be turning fifty on the twenty second of this month and I've been wondering about some way to celebrate this. One of my waitresses lost a brother about thirteen years ago and I asked her yesterday if her family did ritual things to remember him. They don't but she suggested donating to the TransCanada Trail in his name. They put names of donors or whoever the donor wants to name in pavillions across the trail. I think this is a very good idea and will do it if I can be assured that it will go into a pavillion in his province, not just anywhere.

Today when I came home and checked my e-mail, I found a bunch of old family photos that my niece had scanned and sent around. The top photo is dated July, 1957. My brother would be 11 months and I would be 3 1/2. I thought it was very cool that she sent these today because I've been talking about my brother a lot recently and he's strongly present in me right now. Very good to have received these. The bottom is dated June, 1959. I started school a year early and this would have been at the end of first grade for me. You can tell I always loved my brother. I still miss him to this day, twenty-three years after his death.

Music for today: Gordon Lightfoot reminds me of my brother and I snooping to see if we could find Christmas gifts and finding a 45 of Gordon Lightfoot and Hank Williams Jr....I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Oh Wednesday, my favorite day to crawl into bed after staying up the night before playing trivia, then working a ten or eleven hour day. A real treat tonight was that my daughter, her friend and my niece had dinner ready when I get home. I rarely eat on Wednesday nights, preferring to just get to bed and off my feet. A bit of dinner has revived me and I may stay up till ten.

We didn't win at trivia last night but had lots of fun. Found out that they don't use league standings in the summer. A real shame seeing as how we're in first place. We tied for first place at the end one winter term a few years ago but lost a tie breaker and came second. First is $200.00, nothing to be scoffed at. We've come second twice and third twice but never first. This is the first time we've ever played in the summer so didn't know that it wasn't league play.

Music: I now have some energy and am going to watch So You Think You Can Dance with the girls. Some energetic music to match, I'd say. Vilma Diaz la Senora doing Mirada Latina is wonderfully rhythmic and great to dance to and an old one, Yes We Can Can by the Pointer Sisters that I danced to lots in days long past. I have a version of this song by it's writer, Alan Toussaint that Putfile won't accept. I play it a lot.

Monday, August 07, 2006

S and I did a medium hike this afternoon. We were looking for chanterelle mushrooms at a secret spot but didn't find many. The Island was filled with a wonderful refreshing breeze all day. I had sheets on the line at about 8am and they were dry at 9. I heard tourists from Georgia saying they come for the cooler weather here than they get in Georgia. They would have loved today's weather, for sure.

Clarke has still not come home but I haven't given up hope. I know cats that have been away from their homes for longer. We really miss him though because he is such a presence. Some people are like that and some cats are as well.

Music for this wonderful breezy day: Wonderful by Sam Cooke and Hell of a Day by Taylor Hicks.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

The temperature here on the Island has finally moderated. It is cool at night for sleeping and the days are hot but not humid. It has been much more pleasant for working. I heard on the radio this morning about 6:15 that it was 5 degrees in northern New Brunswick. That is autumn-like.

Clarke still has not returned home.

Music for today: Johnny Cash's version of Four Strong Winds. I love his shaky voice on his last few recordings, showing his age but adding so much emotionality. I like this version of What'll I Do by Linda Rondstadt and will upload that too. What'll I Do about Clarke? Bella and Kenz are missing him too...it's just not the same around here.

Friday, August 04, 2006

I walked the fields and pastures along the woods this morning. Only twice did I hit the electric fence and got soaked from the high clover field. My fear of snakes was really grabbing at me but the scariest part was that the cattle whose field I was in got interested and came running. They were making so much noise they woke my niece and daughter. I had no idea if the bull was in the field or not so had to run faster than the cows. An adventurous morning to say the least and without the positive outcome I was hoping for.

Clarke has still not returned. I've combed the nighbourhood, visited neighbours far and wide and have a posse of people looking. I left work early and am soon going to take a walk along the woods. That's where I found him last year when he was missing for several days....at the top of a tall tree. I keep calling him and expect an answer but am not getting one. That's what has me worried. There was a dead cat on the road yesterday in front of my neighbour's but it was not Clarke. There are coyotes around, too.

Music today: Wishin' and Hopin' by Annie DiFranco and I Still Miss Someone by Dylan and Cash.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

I tried several times to post this morning but Blogger was acting up. Several bloggers who I read have switched from Blogger because of their tendency to not work some days. I just try again later.

The photo today is of a garden that I pass by every time I go to Charlottetown and that I've admired for many years. It is colourful during any season and right now is stunning. In the twenty-two years I've been admiring this garden I've only seen it being "worked on" a couple of times thus it appears to be magical, changing season to season by itself and always neat and tidy as well. Some day I'm just going to stop in and tell them how much I've enjoyed this blaze of colour over the years.

We lost second place in trivia by a half point. There were eleven teams last night and it was so hot in a small space with tons of bodies. Whew! We were tied for first after the first round but changed a correct answer for a wrong answer in round two which made us lose the point we needed. It's funny though. We again were given beer for next week by the second place winners like we were three weeks ago because they can't be there next week so passed their booty on to us. Four weeks in a row we received the prize but only our two wins count on the league standings which is fine cause we're in first place.

I've left this to the end because I'm very upset. Clarke is missing. He is probably stuck up a tree again like he was for many days last summer but he is missing now for over 24 hours and I want him home. He's such a baby and will be upset, missing his food and comfortable life. Clarkie...............